Traditional Food

Archive for the ‘Traditional African Food’ Category

Staple foods in the Nigerian diet include: peanuts or ground-nuts, yams, cassava, fish, rice, okra, bananas, guinea corn and millet, and palm nuts.

They are usually starchy and Nigerians love to cook with a lot of pepper and spices especially those from the southwest and southeast. This recipe uses all local ingredients to create a tasty and nourishing meal.

These recipes celebrate the traditional food of Nigeria:-

Egusi Soup

Ground Egusi seeds give this soup a unique color and flavour. If you can’t find Egusi seeds in your store, you can substitute pumpkin seeds or Pepitas which you can find in Latin American grocery stores. This soup is thickened with flour ground from seeds of gourds, melons, pumpkins, and squashes, many of which are native to Africa.

200 g Water Leaves
50 g Egusi seeds
1 teaspoon Dry Ground Red Pepper
1 medium Onion
100ml Palm Oil
10g Dry Ground Crayfish
120g Fresh Tomatoes
100ml Water
Salt & Pepper to taste

Wash the water leaves well in clean, fresh water.
Liquidise or pulverise the onions, tomatoes and egusi seeds until smooth.
Add the dry ground pepper and fry in palm oil for five minutes.
Add the water, put the lid on and cook for five minutes.
Now add the water leaves, replace lid and cook for a further five minutes.
Finally, add the crayfish and seasoning, warming through well.

Serve with pounded yam or cooked rice and a meat stew, to provide protein.
Alternatively, serve with eba, fufu or any suitable carbohydrate.

Curried Okra

This traditional recipe for Okra (or Okro, as it is called in some part of Nigeria) is one that can be created anywhere in the world, as it uses ingredients that can be found in any local store.

The word “okra” comes from Africa and means “lady’s fingers” in Igbo, one of the languages spoken in Nigeria. Although Okra originated from Africa, it is now available around the world. Some people consider Okra alone is too gooey, but this tasty recipe makes good use of it’s properties.

When buying fresh okra, look for young pods free of bruises, tender but not soft, and no more than 4 inches long.

500g Okra
2 Onions
180g Oil
3 cloves garlic
2 Tomatoes
2 teaspoons of curry powder
½ teaspoon of turmeric
Pinch of black pepper
½ teaspoon of salt

Slice one of the onions finely and fry gently in oil.
Liquidise the remaining onion, tomatoes and garlic.
Add this puree to the frying onions.
Add the spices.
Fry gently for five minutes.
Top and tail the okra and cut into pieces about 1cm thick.
Add to the spices and cook gently for 10-15 minutes.

Serve with cooked rice and a meat stew, for protein.

With thanks to the Nigerian people who made us so welcome in their homes, gave us a love of traditional Nigerian food and who helped us overcome our fear of eating with our fingers!

For further tips and ideas for cooking great and traditional food from around the world, visit Nigerian Recipes & Food

This article was submitted by Jen Carter, owner of the World Food & Recipes website.

So you’ve been hearing about Moroccan recipes a lot lately and you are likely wondering what the big fuss is about. Is it worth it giving Moroccan recipes a try?

If you are looking for a reason to start incorporating delicious Moroccan recipes into your daily living, here are 10 good reasons why you should use Moroccan recipes.

1. Moroccan recipes are healthy- Moroccan recipes typically use chicken, lamb and plenty of vegetables that are flavored with spices and herbs that are not only exotic and taste good, but can be beneficial to your health. If you want to start eating healthier, check out Moroccan food.

2. Moroccan recipes are easy to make- Not a lot of fuss, not a lot of time and you can have a full meal for you and your family when you make Moroccan food.

3. Moroccan recipes are versatile- Although exotic, there are many versatile dishes that you can make when you are cooking Moroccan food. The foods of North Africa are one of the most versatile of all foods as they combine African cooking with Mediterranean cooking.

4. Moroccan recipes can be quick- If you use tagines, which are clay pots that are used to make Moroccan cuisine, you can make your dinner in much less time than it would take you using non clay pot cooking. Tagines are easy to use and easy to clean up.

5. Moroccan recipes can help you lose weight- Ever hear of the Mediterranean diet? Many of the foods that are used in that diet that incorporates vegetables used in Moroccan foods are used in this diet. You will eat healthier and lose weight.

6. Moroccan recipes are abundant- If you want to learn to cook Moroccan food, you can find a vast selection of Moroccan recipes online. No more do you have to buy an expensive cookbook if you want to try Moroccan cuisine- all the Moroccan recipes that you want are just a click away.

7. Moroccan recipes can be a snack- You can learn to throw together some Moroccan olives, flat bread and even some cheeses for a quick, exotic snack for those last-minute guests.

8. Moroccan recipes are exotic-You will look as though you have gone through a lot of trouble to create an exotic dish, but in reality you would have cooked easy to make Moroccan food. If you want to impress someone with exotic cuisine, you can do so with Moroccan recipes.

9. Moroccan recipes are soothing- The Moroccan mint tea will soothe you and is very refreshing either hot or cold.

10. Moroccan recipes are delicious- This is really what it’s all about, isn’t it? If you are looking for a delicious cuisine, look no further than Moroccan food. Moroccan recipes have it all; they are delicious, healthy, easy to make and are actually good for you.

Learn how to cook Moroccan food using some of the Moroccan recipes that you find online. By using the tagines, the traditional clay oven, you can cook a dinner in a lot less time in one pot. If you are looking for a way to make delicious food that is exotic as well as healthy, you can learn how to use tagines and make exotic Moroccan recipes that you find online.